ModNation Racers is getting a speed boost

... at least in terms of the loading time(s). Sony has spilled the beans on the update scheduled to hit ModNation Racers tomorrow, August 4, 2010. According to the Official PlayStation Blog, title update 1.02 will be available tomorrow and will bring a slew of fixes for the game.

First and foremost, the load time issue(s) are being addressed; the load times throughout the game have been one of the major complaints of gamers since the title’s launch. After the update, players should notice a drastic reduction in the amount of time it takes to load throughout the game, up to 50% in most areas. ModNation Racers is also getting a new difficulty mode in the form of “casual” mode. This setting can be switched on from within the options screen of the game, making it a little easier for those who are struggling with the AI controlled racers in the game.

The multiplayer portion of the game is seeing some changes too. After the patch, you will be able to (finally) send invites to your friends for XP Races and series. The online game room in the Mod Spot area is being removed as well, in order to speed up the process of getting into online matches. The notorious “Hot Lap” cheat which allowed gamers to set unbeatable times in the Hot Lap mode will no longer exist (and hopefully the records for the mode reset). Finally, three of the harder challenges in the game are being altered in order to make them easier to attain. This applies to the following:

Devastator takedown on Wild Run

Devastator takedown on Modobahn

Sideswipe 3 opponents on the cliff side on Fracture

As a means of showing their appreciation for the fans, Sony is also unlocking the “Tin Bucket” item for all players. While it isn’t included in this update, it is noted in the comment section of the Blog posting that the developers are currently looking into removing the region lock for the game, allowing players from different regions to interact with one another. It isn’t something that is definitely coming in a future update, but they are looking into it...